oil sample?

Most engines, silicon levels do not even get flagged until silicon gets into double digit territory. And Trees, silicon is not always dirt. Gasket sealer, casting material, coolant additives, and some other things that are in the engine can be a source of silicon. Dirt is just one part of the equation. The air filter may be doing its job just fine. What one has to watch is for trend lines and spikes in numbers.

I understand how some would fear busting off a Fumoto valve. I have run them for a couple of million miles on commercial trucks and have had them on all my personal vehicles, including a Jeep that did some serious mud and snow on occasion. If you look at the construction of these valves, you might get the impression that they would easily outlast any vehicle.

I like the Amsoil Synthetic truck grease. http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produ...-and-equipment-grease-nlgi-2/?code=GPTR2CR-EA. Not too bad on pricing when purchased as a preferred customer, which I am. The Mobil you mentioned is a good one also. Schaeffer makes a very good grease also.

 

Silicon is not only dirt. Gasket material, coolant additives, original oil composition also contribute to silicon levels. Most OEM engine folks do not consider anything under double digits worth looking at. Very few labs will flag silicon levels less than double digit. From one sample, there is no way to say what is the source of anything. This is why sampling over time to get trending data is critical. When you see spikes that aren't normal, that is when you start looking for a problem.

I understand the concern of busting off something like the Fumoto drain valve on an oil pan. I have used them for almost 2 million miles on commercial trucks, and several years on my personal vehicles, including a Jeep that got in the mud and deep snow frequently. Have never had a problem with any valve.

I tend to like the Amsoil Synthetic truck chassis grease that they have. http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produ...-and-equipment-grease-nlgi-2/?code=GPTR2CR-EA. Pricing is not bad with preferred customer pricing... $5.86 a single tube or $5.77 in a 10 pack, which is usually how I buy it. Schaeffer makes a pretty good grease also.

 

Wow!! I posted once and it didn't show up, so I wrote it again and it did show up, now they both show up! There is a ghost in the machine. Sorry folks for posting two variations on the same thing.

 

Ok, a lot of time spent in an extremely dusty environment accounts for the silicon at 5ppm in 10k miles. I would suggest doing the UOA's in 5k increments and scheduling the OCI's to coincide with the corresponding data. That's where the experience of a lab like Blackstone really comes in, it's what they do. Analyze and advise.

 

I wouldn't mind trying it, it looks pretty good and that price makes it competitively priced with the Mobil product. How would one go about getting a 10 pack case?

 

Um, I have to disagree here.... 5ppm @ 10k miles on oil is something to check into....

We just found out that Tony has been operating in an extremely dusty environment....

OEM's schedule the suggested OCI on equipment operating in these conditions accordingly. A heavy use application in dirty and dusty conditions warrants an oil change at 15k, (using the Detroit Diesel, series 60 guidelines), whereas with an OTR vehicle the change interval is 30k miles...

 

If you use the link and look on the site for the tab than says "Buy Wholesale", you can sign up for preferred pricing. Then anything you buy, you get roughly 25% off the retail pricing. Then you can order the grease by the tube, 10 pack, 40 pack, 120 lb keg, 400 lb drum, etc. Just go to www.amsoil.com

 

Keep that blowby tube off the ground. Keep it short, run it along the frame and out the back like I did at one time, or whatever, but keep it out of the dust and dirt. It will suck dust and dirt into the engine.

 

Here is a standardized chart from Lubetrak. Check for allowable silicon limits for alerts. No alert till Silicon level over 20 ppm on Detroit Series 60 on this chart.

http://www.lubetrak.com/lubedocs/alarms_003.pdf

This one, dated a few years after the first one, still has no alert on silicon till goes over 15 ppm.

http://www.lubetrak.com/lubedocs/alarms_002.htm

This is comparable to other oil sample labs alert limits. Wearcheck labs show similar that 15 ppm or less is considered in normal range. http://www.wearcheck.com/literature/techdoc/WZA015.htm

PPM Oil testing labs confirm this in this: http://www.ppmoiltesting.com/eval1.html

Synmax Performance Lubricants also confirm this..... http://www.ppmoiltesting.com/eval1.html

And the list goes on and on. Generally, if silicon levels are below 15-20 ppm, and there is no evidence of increasing wear elsewhere in the other wear metals, then it is a non issue and not abnormal. Now, I suggest if one wants to dispute this information, then produce supporting documentation.

 

Ok, a couple things here....silicon in Tony's sample is high relative to the miles on the oil.

Did I advise Tony to change his oil because of it? No. Why? Cause the wear numbers look good.....

Should Tony keep an eye on his silicon, or try to determine if there is a cause for it? Yes. Why? Because if it's 5ppm with 10k, it may well be 10-15 ppm or higher at 20k miles... At 30k, (the suggested OEM change interval for OTR use), what might we find? High everything, which would indicate high wear rates, which is the very thing we are all attempting to avoid.

Now a lot of people have no idea what the numbers mean, and I would never tell someone not to keep an eye on something I thought needed to be kept an eye on.

I would also note something which seemed to be high RELATIVE to the sampling age/mileage on oil.

I run my OCI's out to 60k, my silicon level at 60k is between 6 and 9 ppm.

My engine uses about half a gallon fresh fill oil during this interval.

What do you suppose could happen if Tony tried this and his silicon level increased at the rate of 5-6 ppm, (or more possibly, as we hadn't determined why Tony's silicon level was 5ppm at 10k), during an extended interval like this?

My advice to Tony was to sample on a close schedule and to track the results carefully, which is the whole purpose of doing UOA's to begin with.

In my experience, a lot of o/o's get an analysis done at the place where they're getting their oil changed. They get it done once during the oil run, at the end when they're changing it anyway, and the only thing they're looking for is the presence of engine coolant, or fuel oil....

But Tony pulled a sample at 10k and asked what I saw......